Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-05-05
A CHAT WITH MRS. LOGAN.
SHE CORRECTS FALSE REPORTS
ABOUT HERSELF AND HER WORK..

| she Talks oil the GeneraPs Two Books
and His Object in Writing Them-The
Profits of "The Great Conspiracy"-Her
Future Home.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, April 1S-Mrs Gen. Logan
has led very secluded life since her hus-
bands DEATH She is living quietly at
her home, known as Calumet place, on the
heights above Washington, and her only
drives are those which she takes daily to
the tomb of the general at the Rock Greek
cemetery. When l caHed upon her the other
afternoon she was dressed in the deepest Of
black, and her only jewelry was brooch of
gold, with a small medallion photograph of
the general in it. She looked well, but she
was very sad. The bright spirits for which
she has been so noted have departed from
her. She seldom smiles and never laughs.
During the friendly chat of two hours which
had with her this afternoon she spoke often
Of the general, and as she did so her eyes
filled with tears. The whole conversation
was full Of interest. and feel will be doing
no injustice to Mrs. Logan in giving some Of
it to the public. In the course of it the sub
Ject Of the novel which the papers have re
ported her as writing came up. She denied
the charge with much feeling, and told me
that she wished the newspapers would leave
her alone in her grief. She said
"There is no foundation for the numerous
stories that are being printed about me. l
am doing no literary work whatever, and in
my present state of feeling it would be i'm
possible for me to think of it. The idea of
my writing novel is an absurd one in any
case. | never wrote word of fiction in my
life. My existence has been too much III the
thick of real life for that, and were l able to
do such thing l assuredly could not do it as
1 am feeling now. l am doing nothing, and
l can do nothing until have become accus-
toned i'll some measure to the great grief
which has come upon us. l cannot conceive
how any one knowing the feeling which have
for the general can be SO cruel as to start such
reports about me-"
Here Mrs. Logan's eyes filed, and in re-
sponse to question she told me that she had
no intention of writing biography of her
husband or Of publishing any of his papers at
present.
at may be-" she said, "that in the remote
future shall form book of the many testi-
monials and resolutions which have been sent
me in his honor. But feel that would do
the general wrong if published anything
his books before those books have had their
full sale and have made their full imprint
upon the minds of the country l feel that
both Of his works have mission to fill. The
Great Conspiracy is great work. 1t tells the
truth about the war in way in which it has
never been told before. 1t is bound to make
an impression upon every young man who
reads it, and the general wrote it more with a
view of inculcating patriotic ideas than to
make money. His love for his country always
came before his personal interests, and aside
from any pecuniary benefit l might derive
from the sale of his books, 1 think they should
be read by every young man in the country"
"'The Volunteer Soldier will soon be is
sued l understands
"Yes," continued Mrs Logan, "and l look
upon the two books as the embodiment Of Gen.
Logan and as representative of him. The
Great Conspiracy gives the political side
of his character and his views as a politician
The Volunteer Soldier the soldier side, and
his views of the late war; In the latter he
analyzes the military of the United States in
new way and treats of the two elements of
our army in the late war from new stand
point. He proposes new scheme of military
and naval education, ard thoroughly discusses
the war from the standpoint of the volunteer
1t will be quite large book, and will con-
tain from 800 TO 600 pages"
"Are the stories about the enormous profits
of The Great Conspiracy true?'
''No, they are not. The book has sold very
well since the death of the general, but moth
ing like the number reported in the news
papers. Its sales have not compared with
those of Grants book, and altogether an
edition of $4,000 has been disposed Of The
rate of orders or sales has been about 1900
a month"; and a new edition of 10000 has been
decided upon. These may sell and they may
not. 1 only know that the sales of the last
month were good, and that Mr. Hart has
hopes for the future. My relations with my
publishers have been pleasant since the gen
erals death. l made new contract, and it
is being honestly carried out Ny profits are
about 40 cents upon each copy sold"
The conversation here shifted to the action
of the last congress, and asked Mrs. Logan
if the reports in the newspapers that she had
said she did not desire and would not accept
pension were true She replied with feeling
that she had never said anything of the kind,
and that such an action upon her part after
her friends and the generals friends in con-
gress had-though without her requesting it
tried to get her pension would have been
both rude and ungrateful. She said:
Il feel that in making such a statement
would be doing injustice to Gen. Logan's
memory, and feel that it is due to his mill
tary services that his widow should be as well
treated as the widows of Gems. Hancock and
Thomas Gen. Logan deserved pension for
| the wounds he received in the army, from the
effects of which he never recovered; and his
services both military and civil were GER
tainly as great as those of the others whose
families have been pensioned by congress. do
not ask such pension as charity. but l do
feel that in Justice to Gen. Logan's name he
should be granted equal honors with Han
| cock. have never felt any different from
this in this regard, and the statements to the
| contrary are untrue. / do not see why such
reports are started, and where they come
from do not know. surely do not desire
to be the subject of newspaper gossip.
"Another report of this same character,
Mrs. Logan went on, "was of the alleged
trouble over the engraving of Gen. Logan
portrait for the memorial addresses ordered
by congress. The newspapers had it that Mr..
Graves and myself had had fuss over the
choice of proper portrait for the engraving,
and / was represented as storming about the
bureau of engraving and printing. 1here
was nothing of the kind Mr.. Graves wrote
to me to select photograph of the general
for this engraving, and the letter came 10 me
| at Chicago. while | was there on business
few weeks ago. wrote 10 my daughter 10
take over the photographs we had and to let
the engravers choose from them. When 1
returned received letter from Mr.. Graves,
saving that the engravers had said the lines
in the photographs sent were not strongly
enough marked, that they were too highly